


Flashing Lights

by orphan_account



Series: Tumblr Fic Requests [13]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Cop Levi, M/M, Mention of underage drinking, Modern-era AU, Overbearing Grisha, University AU, insecure Eren
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-08
Updated: 2015-10-08
Packaged: 2018-04-25 11:10:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4958215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He was going out for the night, going to forget that he was a failure of a student, of a son, of a friend, and get himself wasted. Except, he didn't even make it to the bar. It was when he was handed back his license and registration that he realized his mistake. He'd handed the fake ID over instead of his real one.</p>
<p>"I'm going to have to take you down to the station."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Flashing Lights

"What were your grades this semester?" Grisha asked, and Eren rocked in his chair lightly, the phone pressed to his ear as he read the computer screen, hoping that it would change before he had to voice the results of his father's investment.

"...3.8 GPA," he finally said. "I didn't do well in my English course--"

"Eren," Grisha cut in. "We talked about this. If you want me to pay for your education, you need to put forth the effort and make it worth the cost. The fact that you're going for Anthropology in the first place--"

"I know, Dad," he said, not wanting to hear it again. "I get it. I'll make sure it doesn't happen again."

"Good. Now, is there anything else you'll be needing?"

"No, I'll be fine." Eren could use a vacation, but he wasn't going to tell Grisha that. The man said his farewells and hung up, and Eren disconnected the call, setting down his phone with a sigh.

"Point-two away from perfection, and it's still not good enough," he muttered, but he felt the same disappointment. Mikasa had managed a perfect GPA, and Armin, somehow, managed to get _above_ it, hovering closer to a 5 than Eren wanted to think about.

Once again, he was falling behind, unable to keep up with his friends, once again showing how _stupid_ he was. He'd even tried this time, pulling his grades up from where he ended in high school, barely having a 3.0, and was almost at a point where he could be happy with his grades. Could be happy with himself.

But that wasn't going to be this semester. He was halfway through his freshman year, and already he was wondering if it was worth the effort. All the time he spent studying, and he had forgotten to format his essay properly, using the wrong style. He didn't think it should matter _that_ much, but it was enough to drop his GPA a couple points.

"Fuck this," he groaned, pushing away. He was going out for the night, going to forget that he was a failure of a student, of a son, of a friend, and get himself wasted.

Except, he didn't even make it to the bar. He even had the ID that Connie had made him from their clubbing days in high school, the one that never let him down, but he was pulled over on the side of the road by a short, irate police officer who hadn't taken kindly to Eren's speed. So Eren leaned his head against the steering wheel, groaning tirely to himself as the cop made his way back to his car after checking out his license.

"I'm going to have to take you down to the station," the officer said, and Eren looked up, alarmed. It was when he was handed back his license and registration that he realized his mistake.

He'd handed the fake ID over instead of his real one.

* * *

"Is my school going to know about this?" Eren asked, his voice thin with fear. He didn't want the school to find out -  _Grisha_ to find out. If Grisha found out he'd been arrested, he'd pull Eren's funds, make Eren have to take out loans to pay for his degree... which Eren knew wouldn't be worth it. He'd already been enough of a disappointment in not managing to get a good GPA, there wasn't any more chances for him.

"Look, you're the one who--"

"I know, I fucked up! I didn't--" Eren sighed, biting his lip. "I just... I’m going to be in so much trouble."

"You already are. Providing fake identification--"

"I just wanted a fucking drink, okay?" Eren snapped. "It's been a shitty semester, and I just... wanted one night to be okay."

The silence in the car was unsettling, and when Eren spoke again, his voice was soft, cautious.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to yell..." he mumbled. The cop sighed.

"Look. I'm willing to turn a blind eye if you head straight home and I don't see you again tonight."

Eren looked up, startled. The cool eyes that met his had him looking down at his lap.

"I... Is that okay? I mean, won't _you_ get in trouble?"

"I techincally haven't called it in yet," the officer said blandly, pulling a u-turn. "And the idiot who's in charge of checking my cam won't say shit if I remind them they're stuck on camera duty because they instigated a fight in the labs over proper use of the blood cultures."

Eren blinked, startled. When the cop pulled up behind Eren's car again, undoing the handcuffs, he placed a hand on Eren's shoulder.

"There are better ways to deal with stress than turning to liquor. Don't fall into that trap, not at this age. Wait until you're legal, get a hobby, join a club, try out for a sport... something besides drinking. It's a road you don't want to go down and find yourself lost."

Eren swallowed, nodding tiredly. Drinking didn't sound so fun, not now, and he looked up into the face of the officer who was giving him a second shot. A second chance.

"I'll go home... you won't find me heading to any bars again, I swear."

"...if you find you want to, call me." The man pulled out a slip of paper, scribbling a number on it. "I've been in that place, where a drink to get of stress was all I wanted. I'll listen if it gets too much."

Eren drove home, the slip of paper with the name Levi scrawled next to the phone number burning in his pocket. Sleep never sounded so desirable, and he placed the officer's number on his desk before crawling into bed, burying himself into the blankets.

* * *

"I just... I've put so much effort in, and I'm still falling short," Eren said, clutching his phone. It was halfway through the semester, and his grades weren't looking good. He had to bring them up, he  _had_ to.

"You realize that three-point-nine isn't something to scoff at?" Levi's voice, so familiar now in these moments of panic, came over the line. Deep and untroubled as always, it did wonders to soothing Eren's frayed nerves, to driving away the temptation to go do something stupid. "Most of your fellow students would kill to have such a high number, the average ranges from two-point-nine to three-point-three. You're doing exceptionally well, Eren."

Eren sighed, falling back on his bed and mumbling, "Tell that to Grisha."

"Well, he's going to have to learn that not everyone can be perfect. You're allowed to make mistakes, you don't have to deliver perfection all the time. It's obviously doing you little good."

"My sister and best friend have no problem, why can't I manage to? Why am I the stupid one?" Eren asked, his voice becoming desperate, the raw pain that tore at his mind spilling out. "Why do I always have to be the one in last place?"

"Eren, your friend Armin is a certified genius. No one should use him a guideline into how high you set the bar. And from what you've said, your sister is a genius as well, in terms of physical performance."

"Her academic--"

"Consists of the basic courses required for her degree. Unlike you, who only has to take the required gym credits for your degree. You passed at the same rate she did for your generals. She put in as much time as you did to pass them. Apples and oranges, or however the fuck that saying goes."

Eren nodded, wiping at his eyes, glad that the cop couldn't see him through the phone. Why couldn't Grisha understand that, then?

* * *

"You're joking," Eren stated bluntly, looking over the edge of the cliff. The zip-line extended beyond what he could see, beyond what he thought was possible, but Levi shook his head, testing to make sure Eren's straps were on properly.

"I told you, you need more hobbies. Something to relax you, take your mind off of school, off of the stress, off of your father."

"So making me piss myself will do the trick?" Eren asked faintly, even as Levi hooked him up to the thin cord that couldn't _possibly_ hold his weight.

"Well, if you're pissing yourself in fear, I doubt you're thinking about your grades." With that, Levi gave him a light push, and Eren had no time to retort as he found his breath sucked away as his feet left the earth.

The wind pulled at him, hitting him with a sharp pain that he was able to push aside, a grin stretching across his face as the initial panic faded, the awe and wonder of watching the world whip by him taking over. Trees moved beside him as he headed toward the ground, the angle gradual enough that the ground slowly approached, that he was able to slow down enough to stretch his legs out and come to touch the ground at a run, slow himself down that when he reached the end, he was able to stop completely, unlatching himself with shaking hands, and slump against the tree.

He was going to kill Levi. Then they were going to go back and do it again. Which they did, and when they were heading back to town, Eren grabbed Levi in a hug, squeezing and whispering his thanks before running into the dorm, flushed and longing to fly again.

* * *

"W-would you come with me?" Eren asked, twisting his hands together nervously. "I mean, I know I’m just that guy you pulled over, who's been annoying you for the last six months--"

"Eren," Levi said, a note of amusement in his voice. "If I thought you were annoying, I'd have stopped answering the phone by now. What time is your dinner at?"

"S-seven?" Eren said, checking the email. "Seven, at the Cottage Lake terrace--"

"Formal?"

"Y-yeah. It's _Grisha,_ there's nothing less than formal."

"I'll be at your dorm at six-thirty, and we'll go together. I'll see you tonight."

The next few hours flew by faster than Eren wanted, rushing to make himself decent and presentable. Armin was helping, getting Eren's tie knotted as Mikasa ironed his suit, making sure everything looked perfect.

"Don't worry," Mikasa soothed, as she ran her hands through Eren's hair, product helping the strands lay as flat as they ever did. "You've done amazing this year."

"Yeah," Armin said, tightening the tie around his neck. "Compared to high school, you've improved a lot. There's nothing to be worried about. You've done your best, and it's showing."

"Don't let him get to you. Tell him you've done your best, and if he doesn't like it, to go--" Mikasa started, but cut herself off. "Do you want me to go? We could do a two-for-one special, get both of them out of the way--"

"Levi's going with me," he assured, smiling wanely.

"You never said how you met him," Armin said, a knowing glint in his eye. Eren didn't answer, picking his bag up and giving his sister and best friend a hug.

"I'll call you after, tell you how it went," he promised. Mikasa looked at him with worry, but there wasn't much they could do. He felt like he was going for a job interview, instead of dinner with his birth father. But, he decided as the doorbell rang, it was the same thing.

"Ready?" Levi asked after a quick scan of Eren's attire. Eren, thankfully, managed to keep the flush down, instead nodding and waving goodbye to his friends. Once the door was closed, he let the smile drop, slouching slightly and tugging at the too-tight tie.

"I'm taking it that they were Armin and your sister, Mikasa?" Levi asked, leading Eren to where he'd parked his car. Eren nodded, an absent-minded 'Yeah' coming several seconds after he realized Levi couldn't see him nodding. "They looked worried. Should I be worried?"

"They just-- No one really _wants_ to meet with Grisha. They've known me since we were kids. They know _him_ , that's all. They want this done with as much as I do. Mikasa's dinner with him is tomorrow night, and Armin will be the night after. Pretty much the same thing for all of us."

"He meets with your friends, too?" Levi asked, petrubed. Eren shook his head.

"Only Armin. When-- Armin's parents died when he was a baby, he grew up with his grandfather. When he was thirteen, his grandfather died. He came to live with us, so... yeah. It's like with Mikasa, we adopted her when she was nine."

"Armin wasn't adopted, then? You don't refer to him as your brother." Eren smiled slightly.

"No, Armin wasn't adopted by us. It's all weird, but he didn't want to be adopted. He didn't feel like he needed to go through it, and he's really smart. We got paid to take care of him, so it was like a foster situation. He has scholarships for college, so Grisha isn't paying for him, like he is for Mikasa and myself."

"But your sister, she has scholarships."

"Yeah. Not enough, though. Her living costs aren't covered like Armin's. People were willing to pay to get him through school. Genius sure does profit." The last part came out with more bitterness than he intended, but Levi didn't say anything. He just opened the door for Eren, letting him get in before closing it and going around to the driver's side. Before he could compose himself, they were pulling up to the restaurant, a valet coming forward to take the car.

"Just breathe," Levi murmured. "You're going to be fine."

"I hope so," Eren said weakly, "since, you know, my future depends on how well tonight goes."

Levi didn't say anything else, just resting his hand at the small of Eren's back. Warmth spread through him, but so did resolve. He wasn't doing this alone. He wasn't going to the executioner's block by himself, in front of his personal judge without a lawyer... He ran out of good comparisons after that, but it was for the better as he took his seat in front of Grisha, Levi sitting to his right.

"Glad you could make it," Grisha said to Eren, then glanced at Levi. He didn't show his confusion, if he had any, but he did direct the question at Eren about his presence.

"Who is your guest?"

"Levi," the man said, his voice cool and unaffected. "I've a friend of Eren's."

"I didn't realize you were bringing company," Grisha said, his voice as level as Levi's. Eren opened his mouth, but Levi cut in.

"Oh, I wanted to talk with you about something, but I know you're a very busy man." Levi smiled slightly, and Eren glanced over at him, confused. He did? Or was he just making an excuse for his presence. "I knew you'd be here tonight, and Eren's generous offer to sacrifice some of his time tonight with you was much appreciated. I know you two don't get much time to spend together in person, but he assured me it wasn't a problem."

"No, of course not," Grisha said, and Levi nodded.

"Wonderful. Now, let's order our food. I'll be paying for myself and Eren," with that, he directed his attention to the freshman. "Go ahead and get whatever you'd like."

_'What the fuck,'_ he mouthed, but Levi gave him a wink, snapping the menu open and focusing intently on the options there. Eren's nose twitched as he did the same, trying to ignore the numbers listed beside each item menu. The night went on, Grisha holding back his comments on Eren's academic performance while he and Levi chatted. Eren felt more confident, more relaxed than he ever had at these facades before; Grisha had done it every year since he started junior high. This was the first year he hadn't wanted to run away ten minutes after arriving.

Then again, Levi was diverting the man's attention quite well. When Grisha would make a comment about Eren without addressing him, Levi would ask Eren his opinion. He didn't make Eren feel excluded, but he didn't force Eren to have to be the sole source of Grisha's attention, either.

"So, about your grades," Grisha finally said, directing his attention to Eren. Eren felt his stomach churn, but a hand on his knee had him sucking in a sharp breath, eyes widening. He deliberately _didn't_ look at Levi, though he felt the hand squeeze again before falling away.

"He's done an amazing job, don't you think?" Levi responded with his own question, his smile sharpening slightly. It was barely noticeable - Eren wouldn't have seen it if he hadn't taken to memorizing all of Levi's expressions as a hobby - but it had Eren straightening. This is why he asked Levi to come with him. To be there to help him had the courage and strength to confront his father.

"There's room for improvement," Grisha said, but Levi shook his head.

"Oh, there's been plenty of improvement. I've heard about his grades in high school, and compared to then he's gone up several points. Top ten in the university, even! And I understand that doesn't include the outliers, such as those who's GPA rose above the four-point-five mark," Levi's voice held a hint of praise, and it had Eren's cheeks warming. "There aren't many who can claim to be in such a position, especially in their first year of college."

Grisha flushed, and Eren couldn't tell if it was in embarrassment or anger. Levi didn't seem to care, though, and kept going.

"After all, with how much time Eren puts into studying, it must be a relief for you to see those kind of results. Eren's quite an intelligent young man, and it's hard to be able to find time to spend with him with such a crowded schedule. I've had to drag him out on a few occasions, which of course makes me concerned about his health. That much time spent studying can't be healthy, and as his father I'm sure you agree that his mental and physical health is _just_ as important as his academic success."

"Of course, but--"

"It's how we met, after all," Levi said, turning to rest his hand on Eren's shoulder, leaning toward him slightly. Eren paled. Levi wasn't going to--? "He was pulled over on the side of the road, and I talked him into going home and getting some sleep. I'm not sure he quite knew where he was going that night. This was, of course, back before the second semester started."

Eren relaxed, and Levi squeezed his shoulder lightly, a subtle assurance. It was the truth, technically. Levi was just the one who pulled him over to the side of the road, and he was _quite sure_ both of them knew where Eren was planning on going that night. But, he hadn't. That was the important part. The part that mattered.

"Since then, I've taken the time to see that he got out once in a while, got some fresh air, sunshine, all the things a young man needs to stay healthy. After all, working yourself to death to get a degree is rather pointless." Levi took a sip of his drink, letting Grisha digest what he'd said. Eren was sweating slightly, nervous at how the man would take it.

"I understand what you mean. Grades are good, but it's not... everything," the tone of Grisha's voice had changed, going softer, more reflective. Levi nodded, a sharp grin on his face.

"I felt like sharing that with you, since your persistence into Eren's educational standards are driving him to be sick with worry and stressing him beyond his abilities to handle it. He's done nothing but try to please you, and all he wants is to hear you tell him he did a good job. But you can't be satisfied with that, can you? Nothing short of perfection will do, and that's a standard no one can reach. He's your son, for Christ's sake, stop treating him like your morning shit and start showing him you care before it's too late."

Eren choked on his water, turning to look at Levi with wide eyes as Grisha flushed a dark shade of purple, his body going rigid.

"Mr..."

"Now that I've made myself clear, is there anything else you wanted to talk about?" Levi asked. "Because I'm sure the wait staff are tired of our presence and would like to go home, seeing as they closed ten minutes ago."

Eren closed his eyes, pressing his hand over them in a rather pathetic attempt to vanish from Grisha's sight. He was going to lose his dad's support. He was going to have to drop out of college and-- do something. Anything. Because he was going to be cut off--

"I believe you've covered all that I had planned to discuss. I have much to think about. Let your sister know I'll be postponing our dinner, would you Eren? If you'd excuse me, I have places to be."

"As do we. Shall we go, Eren?" Levi asked, and Eren nodded, not bothering to mose his hand away. He remained seated, hearing his father stand up, the hushed voices taking care of the payments, and then a hand coming to rest on his hair.

"It'll be okay," Levi said gently. "You're going to be okay."

* * *

Despite his misgivings, things did turn out okay. An email confirming his next semester's payments had been applied, as well as a short email from Grisha telling him to, and he quoted to Levi over the phone, 'Take the time to care for his personal needs.' He had printed it out and taped it to his wall, as physical proof for himself that he didn't have to study himself to death.

"We should celebrate," Levi said, his voice holding a hint of wryness that Eren had come to understand was the man's way of showing he was pleased. "Buy a cake and balloons--"

Eren leaned down, pressing his lips to Levi's to shut him up, and after a few moments of hesitation, Eren's heart pounding, hands came up to cup his face as the officer returned the kiss. When they parted, short of breath, Eren quietly answered the question brewing in those dark grey eyes.

"You saved me, you gave me a second chance. I would have gone down that road you told me about. I... I owe you so much," his voice cracked, and he felt the tears forming in his eyes. "And you never ask for anything except for me to do what I can. No one... no one has asked me that before. To just be myself. And-- and I think I could love you just for that. But-- But I want to love you for other things too. For the way you act serious, then say the dumbest shit right after. For the way your nose twitches when you're trying not to laugh. For the way you wash your hands right before, and after, eating. For _you._ Will-- will you let me try? Do you _want_ to try?"

Levi pulled Eren down for another kiss, not seeming to notice when Eren's tears dripped onto his cheek, or how his breath hitched when Levi wiped them away from Eren's face. Nothing mattered, except that this was the start of something new, something that Eren could come to love as much as the man who'd saved his future, flashing lights included.

**Author's Note:**

> **[Find me on Tumblr!](annoyinglittletwit.tumblr.com) **
> 
> I will be tracking the tags  
> fic: Flashing Lights; series: Tumblr Fic Requests ; series: TFR


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